A good number of prognosticators are loudly heralding the end of auto insurance and the insurers that rely on this income stream — due to the arrival of autonomous vehicles.

While there is no doubt that auto insurance will change over time due to autonomous vehicles, the doomsday folks paint a picture of an almost certain — and right around the corner — cataclysmic change, with the general population cheering wildly about not having to pay for auto insurance anymore. Disappointingly for them, this is a highly unlikely scenario.

At the most fundamental level, autonomous vehicles are expensive. Until the bulk of the population can afford autonomous cars and trucks, we will be living in a world with a foot on each side of the driving paradigm. This means that while the autonomous vehicle might not hit the car in front of it, the vehicle behind it may well end up in its back seat. Uninsured and underinsured coverage, comprehensive coverage, coverage for property damage, and liability coverage will be needed for a long, long time.